


New Ways

by quiet_rebel



Series: Ride [3]
Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Angst, F/M, Richie is tired, Season 3 Spoilers, Seth and Kate fight, Seth and Kate make up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 14:05:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9075103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet_rebel/pseuds/quiet_rebel
Summary: Now that Kate has adjusted to Seth and Richie's lifestyle, it's time for the brothers to adjust to her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Tried to make it smutty, but alas, it was more about the _feelings_. This update focuses more on Seth/Kate, but I have plans for Richie/Kate in the next one ;)
> 
> Feedback is fuel.

The job in Austin was a walk in the park. Before the police sirens even went off, Seth and Richie strolled out of the bank and into the Camaro, where Kate was waiting in the driver's seat, Ray-Bans and engine on. She pushed down on the gas pedal and didn't stop until they were back safely at the warehouse, miles away from the crime scene.

“We did it, baby!” Seth twirled Kate around, gliding her across the concrete floor and into Richie's arms. She laughed as Richie caught and dipped her.

“Your blood still pumping?” Richie scanned her bare neck as goosebumps formed on her arms.

She pushed herself back up, adjusting the front of her blouse. Richie stepped away, a small smile on his lips. She had let him get under her skin and he knew it.

Seth was already sitting at a table, counting the bills from the bags. Kate knew they didn't need the money. There was still cash coming from Richie's bars. But it was the thrill they wanted. They had gotten away with stealing a lot of money, and that was worth everything.

She picked up a crisp hundred dollar bill. “I don't think I've touched this much money before.”

“Here.” Seth handed her a bundle of hundreds. “There'll be a lot more where that came from.”

She leafed through the cash. She liked the brand-new smell, the cool feeling under her fingers, the sound each bill made like wind chimes on a breezy, summer day.

**

That night, Kate flipped through every television channel until she could find something about the robbery. She finally found it on Channel 12. A Hispanic man, reporting the latest update, stood in front of the building with police cruisers still parked behind him. Two men, late twenties, dressed in black suits, wearing sunglasses. Armed and dangerous.

“Hey, guys!” Kate called behind her shoulder.

Seth and Richie entered the room as the reporter continued. “Based on the accounts from witnesses, police have released this composite of the two alleged bank robbers.”

The sketch filled the screen. One face with dark hair and scruff on a square jaw. Another clean-cut with light hair. Both wearing sunglasses.

“Oh, come on,” Richie said, gesturing to the television. “They totally got my nose wrong.”

Seth smacked his arm. “Shut up, Richard.” 

“If spotted, the police warn the public not to engage with them,” the reporter said. “Anyone with information is urged to come forward.” 

Kate turned off the TV with the remote and tossed it next to her on the couch. She ran her hands through her hair.

“Hey, it's going to be okay,” Seth said. “Those idiots are never going to find us.”

She sighed. “It's not that.”

“Then, what is it?” he asked.

“They didn't say anything about the driver,” she said with a frown.

_They didn't say anything about me._

Richie chuckled. “Well, look who's mad they didn't get a mug shot.”

Kate and Seth glared at him.

Richie held up his hands. “I'll show myself out.” 

After he left, Kate brought her knees to her chest. Seth took a seat beside her, but he didn't say anything. His heavy gaze on her said enough.

“What do you want?” he finally asked.

She turned toward him, her knees falling onto his lap. “Next time, I'm going inside with you and Richie.”

Seth shook his head and let out a long sigh. “Kate, no.” 

She expected that response, so she inched closer to him. “We're partners, remember?”

He rested his hands on her legs. “I remember.”

“Then, let me stand next to you.” She placed her hand over his, always surprised at how soft they felt. “Where I want to be.”

His gaze dropped to their hands. His stoic face revealed nothing, but Kate took his silence as a good sign. At least he was thinking about it. But it didn't last very long. He moved her hand back to her lap and stood. “That's not part of the plan. I'm sorry, Kate.” And with that, he walked out of the room.

She hugged her knees to her chest again and closed her eyes. Didn't Seth realize that none of this had been planned, yet here they were?

_“You have really fucked up my life, you know that?”_

She opened her eyes, digging her nails into her palms. Well, it went both ways.

**

In the morning, Kate found Seth and Richie in the warehouse going through wooden crates and pulling out firearms. A collection of rifles and handguns sat on nearby tables.

“What's all this?” Kate asked.

“Well, back when I was trying to build an empire, I had be prepared for anything,” Richie said, holding up a long rifle. “I guess we don't have much use for all this fire power now.”

“So, what? Are you guys going to put them on Craigslist or something?” Kate said.

Richie rolled his eyes. “Ebay, duh.”

Kate smiled, but it faded when she noticed how quiet Seth was being and how he hadn't acknowledged her. He stood on the other side of the table, lining up a row of pistols. She walked over to him, and immediately, he tensed. Something had changed. Was it because of her request? Was it because she was standing in a room filled with guns when it was bullets that had killed her? Was he having second thoughts of making Kate a partner?

When Seth still didn't look up at her, she grabbed a pistol from the table. He finally jerked his head up. “What the fuck?”

She flicked her wrist and opened the chamber to see if it was loaded. It was. Seth continued to stare at her.

“I spent three months with you, remember?” she said, flicking her wrist her again to close the chamber. “I picked up a thing or two.”

Richie chuckled from the other end of the table.

Kate held out the gun to Seth, handle first. “But you never showed me how to shoot one.”

He kept their gazes connected. “Are you asking me to?”

“Better late than never.”

“She has a point, brother,” Richie said. “It's better that she gets her target practice from us.”

“How about we make _you_ target practice?” Seth muttered. 

Kate kept her hand out, waiting for him to grab the gun from her. A moment later, his shoulders went slack and he took it from her grasp. He shoved it into the back of his pants and stalked out of the room.

She looked up at Richie's stunned face.

“This I gotta see,” he said.

Twenty minutes later, Seth and Richie had lined up six bottles on a fence outside for her. She held the heavy pistol at her side. She inhaled, than exhaled. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. She could do this. She turned around to find the brothers watching her. Seth with his arms crossed. Richie's blue eyes lit up with anticipation. She turned back around and aimed the gun barrel at the first bottle. 

Inhale, exhale.

She fired. 

And missed.

Kate dropped her arm, the pistol now felt like a thousand pounds. The glass bottles remained intact on the fence, silently mocking her. She took in her another deep breath and lifted her right arm, ready to try again, when another arm joined hers. 

Seth stood behind her. His right arm aligned with hers as he steadied the gun in her hand. He placed his left hand on her hip, then used his left knee to nudge her legs further apart, widening her stance. Then, he lifted their left arms together until both of her hands wrapped around the pistol. 

She turned her head slightly, her heart hammering beneath her chest. Seth's face was inches away from hers. He smelled like Irish Spring soap and mint. His stubble scratched her smooth cheek. How could she concentrate now?

“Breathe,” Seth whispered in her ear.

And just like, Kate snapped back to reality. Seth stepped away from her, and she turned her attention to the first bottle again.

Inhale, exhale.

She fired.

The bullet flew right through the bottle, sending glass everywhere. 

Grinning, she turned to Seth and Richie. “I did it!” Her heart was still racing, but the adrenaline was coming from someplace else. _Maybe not_ , she thought as she caught Seth's awed expression.

“Look at that,” Richie said, clapping. “We got our own Bonnie Parker.”

Seth's lips stretched into a straight line as he grabbed the gun from Kate. “All right. Lesson's over.”

“She's still got five more bottles,” Richie said.

“One's enough.” He headed back to the warehouse without them.

Kate stared at his retreating figure. What the hell was wrong with him?

“Don't take it personally,” Richie said to her. “He's an ass to everyone.”

She gave him a small smile. At least Richie was trying to diffuse the situation. Whatever it was.

“You're good.” He moved to her side. “Maybe too good.”

“Is that why Seth's mad?” she asked.

Richie let out an exasperated breath. “Seth likes plans, and he likes sticking to them. Our Uncle Eddie taught us that.”

Well, that explained his reaction last night.

“I told Seth I wanted to go inside on the next job,” Kate said. “I don't want to wait in the car. I want to be right there with you both.”

Richie tilted his head back. “Ah.”

“Ah what?”

“Seth's not used to having someone else calling the shots,” he said. “If he's not in control of the plan, he's totally against it.”

She frowned. “Sounds more like a dictatorship than a partnership.”

“Oh, Kate.” He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned into his taller frame. “Uncle Eddie also taught us that plans can be adjusted.” He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Besides I like the idea of los tres Geckos.”

She smiled against his chest. “Me too.”

**  
_  
“Come a bit closer. I wanna taste your soul.”_

Kate sat up in bed, breathless and shaking, as Amaru's voice faded along with the nightmare. She stared at her trembling hands and the scars on her wrists. It had been over a month since the gate was closed, yet it still felt like yesterday. She wiped her wet eyes and got out of bed, making her way down the hallway until she was outside Seth's door. When she peeked in, she saw his sleeping figure in bed. It was normal for Kate to crawl in beside Seth. He simply rolled over and made space next to him. She always fit. She tucked herself into Seth's chest, his arm already wrapping around her waist. 

“I thought you were pissed at me,” he said, his voice still deep with sleep.

Whatever grudge she had against him was gone as soon as Amaru invaded her dreams.

“I had a nightmare,” she said.

Seth's arm tightened around her. 

“I was in the junkyard with you and Scott. Amaru—I could see her reaching for you—and I was screaming, 'Don't do it, Seth! Don't touch her.'” Kate pressed her cheek against his white T-shirt. She had to know this was real, that she still wasn't stuck in her subconscious. 

“But I touched you,” Seth said.

_You. He wanted to touch you, Kate._

And she wanted him to touch her again, this time with no threat of Amaru reappearing. It was only her inside her body. Only her soul. Only her heart. Only her thoughts and desires. She took his hand and slipped it under her T-shirt, his touch warm against her bare skin. This was real. This was very real. 

His breathing hitched. “Kate.” 

She tilted her head up so she could see his face. It was filled with longing and desperation, everything she was feeling inside.

_We didn't plan this, Seth. We didn't plan this, but I wouldn't change any of it._

She communicated those words by kissing him softly. He deepened the kiss without any hesitation, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth, dancing with hers. He rolled her over on to her back, his hands skimming the skin under her shirt. He touched her in the same way she had touched their stolen money: carefully, possessively, like she was a brand-new experience.

Seth moved his mouth down her neck, kissing her beating pulse, and he paused. He lifted his head, his dark eyes glazed. 

“Princess, if I kiss you again, I'm not going to stop,” he said.

She curled her fingers under his chin. “I don't want you to.” Then, she lowered his head to kiss him again.

His hands roamed higher under her shirt. She wore no bra, and she moaned when he cupped her breasts, gently squeezing them in his palms. She hooked her legs around his waist, and she could feel how hard he was for her. 

“Seth, please...” 

He pulled back once more, this time, his eyes trying to decipher her request. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. His eyes widened. Message received. 

“Are you sure?” he asked.

She nodded.

That was all it took for Seth to lower himself to her again. She tugged on his T-shirt and pulled it off to join hers on the floor. She ran her hands over his fiery tattoo, his muscles, and he shuddered. 

“I love you, Seth.” She planted kisses on his mouth, his chin, his cheeks, his eyelids, his forehead, his nose. “I love you.”

When he opened his eyes, they were glowing softly like the moment before she walked into Xibalba. Only this time, she wasn't telling him to let go. It was the last thing she wanted. He interlaced their fingers and placed their entwined hands in between their chests. Their nakedness made it even more intimate. No barriers between them. Just Kate and Seth.

Seth brought their hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Kate, I—I—” His thumbs caressed her scars as he tried to speak.

She offered him a smile, and he returned it.

“Breathe,” she said. “Breathe with me.”

He lowered his face to hers and kissed her, keeping their connected hands in between them. Her eyes fluttered closed as their chests rose and fell at the same time.

“I love you,” Seth whispered into her mouth.

She swallowed his words and let them blossom inside her lungs. 

**

Kate didn't flinch as the gunshot exploded from her hands. A victorious smile spread on her face as the last of the glass bottles shattered off the fence. She turned around to Seth and Richie, pleased to find them nodding in approval. She sauntered over to them, the handgun feeling comfortable in her grip. 

“Not bad, right?” she said, still grinning.

Richie glanced at Seth. “Come on, you gotta admit she's a fast learner.”

“Oh, I know.”

Kate's cheeks flushed when she thought about the things he taught her last night and even this morning. She was still sore in some places.

Richie groaned. “Really?”

Seth smacked his arm. “Shut up, Richard.”

Kate smiled, shaking her head. “So, what's next?”

Seth and Richie exchanged a look before Seth held out his right hand. Kate watched as the brothers performed a ridiculous handshake that ended up with them pointing at each other. 

“You think you can do that?” Richie asked.

She stuck out her tongue. “Pass.”

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Song on repeat while writing:  
> "Breathe" by of Verona  
> https://youtu.be/mcC3oU6RagI
> 
> Look into this mirror tell me  
> What do you see?  
> Beautiful can't begin to describe you  
> Or what you mean to me  
> Come a little closer to me  
> Let me see you spin  
> Want to get inside of your mind  
> I'll make you let me in
> 
> Open up your eyes  
> To the possibilities  
> Take it there love the fear  
> You'd be surprised  
> How good it feels  
> To just let go
> 
> And breathe, breathe with me  
> Breathe, breathe with me
> 
> Shadows fall onto our bodies  
> From a winter sun  
> Lace on lace in strawberry shades  
> As we both come undone
> 
> Open up your world  
> Show me the deepest secrets  
> I would I'd understand  
> Watching us burn  
> Into a million pieces  
> One touch of your hand
> 
> Breathe, breathe with me  
> Breathe, breathe with me
> 
> You can have me  
> Touch me slowly  
> Kiss me softly  
> Take me under  
> Whisper loudly  
> Push into me  
> Mark my body  
> Lose control now  
> Take me over  
> Take me over  
> Take me over  
> Take me over  
> Take me over  
> Take me over  
> Take me over  
> Breathe  
> Take me over  
> Breathe with me  
> Take me over  
> Breathe  
> Take me over  
> Breathe with me


End file.
